Candidate and Public Official Evaluation System

.

Evaluation Process
The following process is used to vet candidates and public officials, which is required before they can be supported in any significant manner:
• Notify the site staff that you would like a candidate or public official to be vetted. Be sure to include their name and website, if there is no web site provide details on the jurisdiction and office.
• The staff will perform a high level assessment to assure the candidate is suitable for a full evaluation. Some candidates can be rejected with the lowest grade due to obvious differences with our Mission.
• If acceptable, the staff will post a thread in the "Candidate Evaluation" forum, using the evaluation template shown below.
• During the evaluation process, members may try to get others involved in the evaluation process.
• The evaluation process will determine if the candidate is within the agenda of the sites Mission.
• The site policies for candidates is based on the result of the evaluation.
• Evaluations are always subject to change based on new information.

This thread is intended to be a collection point of the strong pros and cons of any potential liberty candidate / campaign that is being discussed / promoted on the forum. You are welcome to post both positive and not-so-positive attributes about the candidate as they related to the evaluation.

Important notes:
* This thread will be following the site's "Functional Debate Principles".
* This is an official evaluation, the "Site Issue Evaluations" guidelines apply.
* If you have any questions on procedural matters contact the staff outside of this thread.* Anything off-topic will be deleted; stick strictly to the issue and facts at hand.

Candidates will be graded on various points which feed into a "Final Rating", as described below.

Individual Issue Rating
Each issue is rated on the following scale (a +/- can be added):

Moves Mission forward: A to B

Maintain status quo: C

Move Mission backwards: D to F

Note: If the liberty position is the status quo it can be advanced in various ways such as raising public awareness of its importance.

Issue Rating
The Issue Rating is based entirely on adherence to our Mission and is formulated from the Individual Issue Ratings. The final Issue Ratings are as follows (a +/- can be added).

A = In-line with site Mission.

B = Mostly in-line with site Mission, not destructive in any real way.

C = General support for the status quo. May have some positives and negatives.

D = Supports elements to move further away from our Mission, may have some positives.

F = Destructive Candidate; opposite of our Mission.

Candidate Profile: Personal Rating
Individual Personal Rating are listed as either: “no issues”, “minor concerns”, “some concerns”, “many concerns” or “significant concerns”. The Overall Personal Rating will be rated as an aggregate of the individual ratings, weighed on a case-by-case basis. If all individual personal ratings are “no issue” than the Overall Personal Rating is an A. Any “significant concerns” will result in an overall rating no higher than a C.

Candidate Rating
The Candidate Rating is determined by combining the low marks within the Overall Issue Rating and the Overall Personal Rating.

Race Profile Rating
The Race Profile Rating is a measure of the return value of the campaign effort. The rating is determined by taking the higher of the following two rating:

Race Impact Rating

Victory Impact Rating

Race Impact Rating
The Race Impact Rating measures the potential value to be gain simply by conducting the campaign, regardless of its outcome. This grading is a product of the engagement and scope of voters, the available resources, opportunities for earned media, the candidates name recognizing, the candidates messaging skills and more. This rating only applies to candidates with a Candidate Rating of A - C.

Rating

Attribute

A

Significant educational or network building opportunities.

B

Worthwhile opportunities. General limit for a state race.

C

Some potential opportunities. General limit for a local election.

D/F

Little to no educational or network building opportunities.

Victory Impact Rating
The Victory Impact Rating measures the potential value to be gain with a winning campaign. Attributes include the ability to promote our Mission, block destructive candidates and the likelihood of victory.

Victory Impact Rating

Ability to Win

Strong Change to just below average change to win: 40%+

Low probability of winning: Under 40% change to win.

Candidate Rating = A/B

Resolve with Candidate Comparison Rating table

D

Candidate Rating = C/D/F

Resolve with Candidate Comparison Rating table

F

Candidate Comparison RatingIn determining the Candidate Comparison Rating, the "Candidate Rating of Leading Opposition" is the Candidate Rating of the opponent who is most likely to win the election besides the candidate being evaluated.

Candidate Rating of Leading Opposition

Candidate Rating

A

B

C

D

F

A

A

A

A

A

A

B

C

B

A

A

A

C

F

F

C

C

B

D

F

F

F

D

C

F

F

F

F

F

F

Overall Rating & Attributes
The Overall Rating is the value in which effort should be taken to support a campaign, it is based on the Candidate Rating and the Race Profile Rating with the following table:

Overall Rating

Race Profile Rating

Candidate Rating

A

B

C

D

F

A

A

A

B

C

NA

B

B

B

C

C

NA

C

NA

D+

D+

D-

F

D

NA

NA

D-

F

F

F

NA

NA

NA

NA

F

Attributes of Overall Rating

Final Rating

Candidate Classification

Site Support / Action

Guidelines for Members

A

Mission Supporting Candidate

Site will spend resources to support, such as with banner ads, a possible dedicated forum and more.

Members are encouraged to promote.

B

Mission Supporting Candidate

Site will provide support.

Members are allowed to promote.

C

Mission Supporting Candidate

No site support.

Members are allowed to promote.

D+

Defensive / Strategic Purpose Candidate

No site support. May add notes to threads that this is a Defensive Candidate.

Some promotions as a defensive candidate is allowed on the site. Should note this is a Defensive Candidate.

D-

Defensive / Strategic Purpose Candidate

No site support. May add notes to threads that this is a Defensive Candidate.

Very limited promotions as a defensive candidate is allowed on the site. Should note this is a Defensive Candidate.